Tag Archives: hilbre

We are three students currently studying Ocean Science, among other subjects, at the University of Liverpool. Over the last week, we have been working for BODC to create Open Educational Resources (OER) based on the recently digitised historical tide gauge data.

The oldest data is from 1853. Not only is it of scientific importance but it also has cultural and historical significance. Last week we were lucky enough to see some of the original documents, recorded at Hilbre Island.

Part of a scanned image of a sea level ledger from Hilbre Island, 1853.

We are creating OERs so that these data can be beneficial and accessible to the wider community. We started by researching existing OERs, such as the ones available on the Open University website. Our research included learning about Creative Commons licensing. Creative Commons is important for OERs as it allows the information to be shared, modified and built upon.

Finally, we created a short questionnaire to find out what people already know about and would find useful from OERs. Please download the questionnaire and fill it in – your input helps us.

Over the next few weeks, we will create some OERs and look into using the data in our other areas of study, including Maths, Physics and Physical Geography. We are hoping that the links we create will widen the accessibility of the data among the public beyond those with a specific interest.

After the redevelopment of some archive space at the National Oceanography Centre, the NOC Applications team have donated an historic tide gauge ledger to BODC.

Once we’ve logged the ledger in our accession system, we hope make the data available online, by including it with the other books that are being scanned as part of the JISC eContent programme.

The ledger is for Hilbre Island, covers 1854, and will fill in a gap in our records. The data inside are tidal heights recorded quarter-hourly. The book also includes meteorological information, such as the wind’s strength and direction.